Modern vehicles are equipped with computer systems that generate many different kinds of data during operation. Prior vehicle computer systems include memory for storing important vehicle data, such as diagnostic codes, for subsequent inspection and processing. However, such data is subject to loss or corruption if the system components fail or are tampered with.
Various techniques for data backup in general purpose computer systems are known. In one familiar example, a user can connect an external hard drive to a computer and periodically save backup copies of important files to the external drive. These traditional modes of data backup may be effective for recovering from loss of data on general purpose computer systems. However, vehicle computer systems are substantially different from general purpose computer systems in both design and application, making traditional modes of data backup ineffective for vehicles. When compared with general purpose computer systems, the limitations of vehicle computer systems in terms of computing power, storage capacity, and physical accessibility present unique challenges that have not been adequately addressed.